Kentucky Wildcats: Morning Quickies - Deeroids Edition

I don't know what's funnier -- James Franklin calling Nick Saban, "Nicky Satan," or the report that Alabama Crimson Tide players sprayed deer antler extract under their tongues in an attempt to enhance their performance. Jobu has no comment on either report.

Tweet of the Morning:

Most fans don't realize college is more physical than NBA. That's because NBA has done better job cleaning things up, e.g. hand checking.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) January 31, 2013

I think this is right.

Your Quickies:

Kentucky football

• Yahoo Sports: Rivals.com 2013 Team Recruiting Rankings
  Kentucky's football class now ranked ahead of Louisville on Rivals.com

• Ex-football recruit on Tommy Tuberville: ‘It’s a bad situation’ // AJC College Sports Recruiting
  Via Mr. Hanky. This could be good news for Kentucky. It seems Tuberville is running off some former commits.

• Montgomery's Kentucky commitment shows Wildcats are players in South Florida recruiting // South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

  Alex Montgomery still has time to change his mind before National Signing Day, but it's unlikely that the Cypress Bay wide receiver will switch again after committing to Kentucky Monday.

  I've heard really good things about this kid. Via Mr. Hanky.

• More interesting recruiting tactics // Home Team blog
  It's just salesmanship, really. Via Mr. Hanky.

• Stadium renovations, timeline given at UK board meeting // Jen Smith on UK football

Kentucky basketball

• Kentucky Wildcats get much-needed marquee win over Ole Miss Rebels - ESPN

  His motto on Tuesday was "Thou Shalt Not Enter the Lane." He was a difference-maker defensively, changing shots and influencing the Rebels' offense. He was flat-out special.

  Dick Vitale gets this exactly right. Special, indeed.

• Kentucky Sports Radio // Anthony Davis, MKG and Brandon Knight picked to participate in NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge
  Good.

• A step forward? // Chris Diggs – UK Fan Blog

  I’m not going to go out on a limb and say this is that 2003 Vanderbilt game, where Kentucky, down eight at the half, roared back in the second with defensive intensity to blow out the Commodores in Nashville by 22 points and thus changing the complexion of the whole season.

  No, that would be a very thin limb, indeed. But it is possible that the team has turned a corner.
• Ira Combs Weekly Column

• CatsIllustrated.com // Notes: Lyle elminates Cats; Lee posts big numbers
  2014's JaQuan Lyle has crossed Kentucky off his list due to a lack of scholarship offer. ($)

• Kentucky takes an RPI jump John Clay's Sidelines

Other UK sports

• UK Hoops set for their own Super Bowl // The Kentucky Kernel

  The Georgia Bulldogs, ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, will enter Memorial Coliseum sporting an impressive 17-3 (5-2) record, pending the result of their Thursday night rematch with Alabama. The Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide 95-83 in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 10.

  Big, big game for hoops coming off that road loss to South Carolina.

Links posts

• Tom Leach // Thursday Links
• John Clay's SEC Links // Sidelines

College football

• Alabama Crimson Tide Football: Deer-Antler Salesman Say Tide is Guilty of Deeroids Use
  This is so droll it almost falls under the heading of sports porn.

• Tracing the involvement of NFL, college football players with S.W.A.T.S. // SI.com
  Personally, I think offering a cigar and a bottle of Captain Morgan's to Jobu has a much better chance of success...

• James Franklin vows to outwork Alabama's 'Nicky Satan' // SBNation.com
  Better get yourself a hex bag and draw a Devil's Trap on your door, son. Captain Howdy has got a little something for that 'tude ...

College basketball

• Ole Miss star Marshall Henderson tested positive for cocaine last spring // SBNation.com
  Hold your hand up if you're shocked.

• No. 4 Gators use strong defense to earn 75-36 win over South Carolina // Orlando Sentinel
  Ouch. Florida is very good.

• Mizzou falls short against lowly LSU // Stltoday
  Well, there is the Bowers excuse. Still, this makes me feel just a little better about how close the LSU game was. Doesn't hurt our RPI, either.

• Morning Five: 01.31.13 Edition // Rush The Court

• UCLA loses their second in a row, falling to USC in overtime at home // CollegeBasketballTalk
  Well, UCLA's not looking like world-beaters now.

• 3-point shot: Rough patch for Ole Miss // ESPN

  Ole Miss spent Wednesday dealing with a double dose of bad news. The Rebels were still stunned over Nerlens Noel's dominating 12-block performance for Kentucky in a humbling 87-74 home defeat by the Wildcats. Then came word that forward Aaron Jones was done for the season with a left anterior cruciate ligament injury.

  Oh, man, that's really rough. I'm very sorry to hear this. I'd hoped he just banged it on the floor.

Other sports news

• Former Roane State basketball star honored for Hall of Fame induction // Oak Ridge Today

  Mattox was inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame in 2012. A native of Philadelphia, Tenn., Mattox graduated from Loudon High School in 1977. She began her college basketball career at Roane State, graduated in 1979, and followed her coach, Andy Landers, to the University of Georgia.

  Congratulations to Bernadette. I'll never forget when she became the first woman to serve as a Division I assistant for a men's basketball team. That wasn't her only first, either. By all accounts, a wonderful lady.

• College Food Fight Tournament: Eat the Sweet 16 with your votes // SBNation.com
  Well, you know you want to -- so go vote!